Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

A few years ago I fell in love with Azzemour at Crabtree & Evelyn and have found nothing that smells like it since. I only used the soaps, shower gels and cremes as I prefer the higher-end for perfumes. However, after switching from Dior Addict and Prada Amber to Must de Cartier and Tom Ford Black Orchid I realized that the one scent that has remained a favourite through all of these changes and throughout the seasons has been Azzemour. As such, I have begun a search for perfumes with similar notes but the perfume counter sales associates of Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus have yet to recommend a frangrance as captivating.
So now, with Mitsouko on my left wrist and having already tried and disliked Oriens by Van Cleef & Arpels and Baiser du Dragon by Cartier I turn to the wonderful contributors of basenotes for advice. What makes matters desperate is that Azzemour has been discontinued and the last bars of soap certainly will not last much longer.

Re: Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

Welcome to basenotes!

Well, luckily there's lots of good woody orientals (my favorite category along with woody chypres). I'm not familiar with Azzemour, but the directory reviews say spices, florals, and amber so here are some options.

Re: Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

Thank you all for the excellent advice.
Asha thank you for finding the description of Azzemour However "african violet, gardenia, Moroccan rose, amber, rare spices and sandalwood" do not realy capture what I love about it... I will try to describe it: Starting off deceptively powdery, it quickly reveals itself to be a light dusting of powder on top of soft buttery leather, a saddle lying in a cedar forest on a hot day and then retaining the woods, leather and powder it lingers as a luxurious night on mediterranean sands evoking the thick heavy air with wafts of rich tobacco, wooden planks releasing the heat they absorbed during the day, and musk oil fluttering through loose silk beach pants.
Azzemour is like the first provocative caresses on a hot summer night: slow, sensual and intimate; and that is exactly the impression I am looking for in a fragrance.

Re: Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

Originally Posted by L'orient

Thank you all for the excellent advice.
Asha thank you for finding the description of Azzemour However "african violet, gardenia, Moroccan rose, amber, rare spices and sandalwood" do not realy capture what I love about it... I will try to describe it: Starting off deceptively powdery, it quickly reveals itself to be a light dusting of powder on top of soft buttery leather, a saddle lying in a cedar forest on a hot day and then retaining the woods, leather and powder it lingers as a luxurious night on mediterranean sands evoking the thick heavy air with wafts of rich tobacco, wooden planks releasing the heat they absorbed during the day, and musk oil fluttering through loose silk beach pants.
Azzemour is like the first provocative caresses on a hot summer night: slow, sensual and intimate; and that is exactly the impression I am looking for in a fragrance.

Mouth closing now. LOL. I'd just go to ebay and pick up the bottles listed there.
I may have to go to Ebay and pick up a bottle listed there.

Re: Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

Wow, great description. The leather notes might be the tricky part to find replicated. Andy Tauer's L'air du desert Marocain and Guerlain Heritage edp might work for you (both have cedar and amber; the Tauer more incense focused and the Guerlain more patchouli prominent), but if you love Azzemour, pick it up on ebay, and buy several, as all the ones listed are less expensive than most of the options we've listed. That said, do some sampling from The Perfumed Court or Posh Peasant or somewhere and maybe you'll find your next holy grail. Best of luck!

I offer you perfume,
More for its pleasure than for yours;
You perfume perfume.

Re: Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

I don't know what your budget is, and in general I'm not a fan of the genre you are describing, but i sure was a fan of Amouage's Tribute. This is $10 just to sample from lucky scent, so yes, it is pricey, but I can't imagine that there is anything better right now. This is a leather/incense parfum that is so top shelf it creates its own shadow.

Another one that might fan the embers of your leather laden evening might be Sonoma Scent Studio's Tabac Aurea. This is a much softer scent than Tribute, but is getting rave reviews. ($3 to sample)

L'Oiseau de Nuit by Parfumerie Generale – This one is a rich, sweet leather-amber. It has that slightly powdery-dreamy quality that I think you might be after. For me, it's hard to describe. Notes (from LuckyScent):

Cistus Labdanum, Liqueur of Davana, Benzoin, Leather

Tolu by Ormonde Jayne – This is another amber-based beauty, not technically woody but with a warm oriental feel that might put it in the same ballpark with the others we're talking about. Here is the notes list I have (unknown source):

Re: Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

Thank you again,

I have a layover in Rome airport soon so I will definitely take advantage of the Dufry there to check scents which may not be available in the U.S. They'll certainly have Shaal Nur by Etro maybe even Amouage Tribute, I will let you know if I get the chande to sample them.
Tomorrow, I will keep an unfortunate perfume counter salesperson busy with my list:
L'air du Desert Marocain Andy Tauer and Heritage by Guerlain, Serge Lutens Chergui, Arabie, Rousse, and Ambre Sultan Jean Desprez Bal a Versailles (if you like skanky musk), thank you Antaeusintheair hehe I shall see if I like skanky musk
Nahema (Merci Madame du Barry)
Chanel Egoiste and Bois des Iles
I may also give Boucheron Trouble another try, I remember being so captivated by the name and the bottle that I sprayed it in CDG and by the end of a 5 hour plane ride the sweetness was still too overwhelming... but of course that is no way to properfly judge a perfume.
Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore and Annick Goutal Sables

I feel like I should just print this out in the form of a check list hehe.
One surprising thing in this quest was that I tried David Yurman on my wrist a couple of days ago and it kept on catching my attention for the rest of the day. I didn't like it muh at first and dismissed it in the beginning but 30 to 45 minutes after spraying it on it would not let me ignore it. This parfum embodies confidence,self-assurance and power, the type of perfume I would wear for a confrontation, a boardroom meeting or a job interview... I may end up adding it to my collection, but it is not my Azzemour replacement

Re: Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

I found this on the web:

As twilight unfolds, Thymes Moonflower envelops you in a rare transformation of dazzling beauty and luxurious fragrance. Anticipation dances and laughter swirls where gilded tones of cinnamon, clove and sugared quince embrace on fresh myrtle leaves and rich mahogany mingles with dark amber and smooth cognac. A golden shimmer lingers on your skin reflecting joyous moments, which sparkle through your night and last until dawn...

If you were a fan of Crabtree & Evelyn’s Nadira or Azzemour, you will love this scent!

Re: Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

To my mind, Amouage Homage Attar is one of the best Woody Orientals out there. It is a Woody Oriental, right? Some people list it as a Floral, but it is way stonger than a floral, has a sandalwood base and a smokiness, almost leather-like quality, I cannot call it a Soft Floral or even a Floral Oriental.

Originally Posted by Antaeusintheair

Welcome to basenotes!

Well, luckily there's lots of good woody orientals (my favorite category along with woody chypres). I'm not familiar with Azzemour, but the directory reviews say spices, florals, and amber so here are some options.

Re: Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

I would also try Donna Karen Cashmere Mist. This is a very nice Oriental-Woody. It has a lovely powdery dry down as well. I think the best is to try the EDT, in the frosted bottle), as have sampled the EDP (clear bottle), and it's a bit astringent to me. It starts out with a slight citrus-going into a nice soft floral, followed by a nice dry down, with the base notes including, amber, sandalwood, Musk, and touch of vanilla. Worth a try!

Re: Could anyone suggest an excellent woody Oriental? (Desperate)

And, please let me add this wonderful perfume! I can't understand why I forgot to mention this wonderful fragrance! Chanel Coromandel. This is a very expensive frag., but try to get a sample or small decant, even just to try it! I would give my eye teeth for a FB of this treasure!